Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fane unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches, and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. daily)

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Sunday’s game in Toronto will pit two competitors against one another that have met many times before.

The Rogers Centre will be just the latest scene of the classic rivalry between John Beck and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The last time that Beck and Fitzpatrick squared off on the same playing field, both were backup quarterbacks for the Dolphins and Bengals, respectively. The time before that, may have been in high school football in Pheonix, Ariz. Or perhaps in community league swim team.

“I think it started off with swimming, to be honest,” Fitzpatrick told the media, about the way he met Beck. “[Beck]’s a year older than I am and I have two older brothers that are twins who are a year-and-a-half older than I am, so he was in between us. We grew up playing sports against each other.”

Beck confirmed the story during his own media session today, noting the similarities between their professional paths as well.

“Ryan and I actually grew up together,” he said. “We’ve known each other since we were seven years old, eight years old. I’m really happy to see his success, but there [similarity] is because I know his story that he just kept working and, at one point, he was out of football and then he got picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals and played in I believe 12 games or 13 games for them that year. It’s just a good example – if you keep working, good things can happen.”

Beck is seeking his own success story this Sunday, still in pursuit of his first professional win as a starter. The man on the field who best understand’s Beck’s path to this point may be Fitzpatrick.

“[Beck]’s definitely a competitor,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think quarterback was always what he wanted to do.”

“I do remember that he was really good at backstroke though,” he added.

That’s Beck-stroke, to you. He could have been the next Michael Phelps, before Michael Phelps.

“I think that’s the main thing,” Fitzpatrick said jokingly. “When he was nine or 10 years old, I think he was maybe the best backstroker in the state.”

Last year Alexander led the team with 20 special teams tackles, earning him Redskins special teams player of the year honors. He’s defending his title so far this year, and has accumulated a team leading five special teams’ tackles.

Alexander believes that his special teams units inject a lot of energy into the rest of the team.

“We are not getting too many opportunities back there, people are scared to kick to Banks, and with the new kickoff rules people are kicking it out of the end zone,” Alexander said. “But the opportunities that we do get we gotta take advantage of.”

Because of the new kickoff rules, the name of the special teams’ game has changed a little bit. Touchbacks are a much more common occurrence, which means fewer opportunities for Alexander and the rest of the special teams unit to blow someone up.

However, Alexander maintains that keeping a high level of intensity is a must. Read more »